Southern California -- this just in

Vandals to Costa Mesa councilman: 'Cancel the layoff'

June 13, 2011 | 2:48
pm

In an apparent reference to the city of Costa Mesa's plan to lay off about half of its municipal workforce, someone vandalized a council member's truck and left a message on his lawn, a city spokesman said.

"Cancel the layoff," read the sign left on the lawn of Councilman Steve Mensinger, said interim city spokesman Bill Lobdell. Mensinger's truck was also vandalized over the weekend, the Daily Pilot reported.

Lobdell said the Pop Warner football facility at Estancia High School was vandalized as well, with "KKK" and a racial epithet painted in red on the walls of a storage bin, Lobdell said. Mensinger is the former Pop Warner president and is still active with the program.

The same acrylic paint was used at the school and on Mensinger's truck, Lobdell said.

"He is saddened someone would try to use this as intimidation," said Lobdell, noting that the councilman will not file a police report.